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-   -   2012 - How Was the Commute Today? (https://www.bikeforums.net/commuting/790056-2012-how-commute-today.html)

jyossarian 01-03-12 02:13 PM

First time on my bike in a month. It felt like someone else's bike. Luckily I remembered not to coast (it's a fixed gear). Unluckily, my legs forgot how to climb. Yay for being out of shape.

Mark Stone 01-03-12 05:52 PM

Even 30 degrees this morning, another crisp, fresh morning ride. Very few cars on the streets so far this year I guess a lot of people have not gone back to work yet from the holidays . . . The ride home, I felt very good and there was a slight tail wind

gecho 01-03-12 05:54 PM

There was supposed to be an ugly wind today, so I went for a trip in my car. When I got back in town in the afternoon, it was +3C with just a 20km/h wind. I couldn't let a day like that go to waste, so at 3pm I grabbed some clothes and boxes of granola bars for school and rode out to the university to drop them off. The person next to my locker must have forgot their combination during the break, because they kept trying to open their locker over and over and over ...

Since I got my stuff hauled to school a day early I'm free to go on a longer ride tomorrow which is my last day off. Thursday is supposed to be +7C, so I might try to get a long ride in after class.

Easy Peasy 01-03-12 07:08 PM

In the 20s F today. Felt perfectly comfortable in my winter gear. My feet never get cold, so sneakers were fine. Ski mitts kept my hands toasty. Tomorrow morning it will be in the single digits. I should be fine with current set up.

ageyfman 01-03-12 07:10 PM

60F in phoenix in the morning, great ride, wore 3/4 length bibs, light-weight long sleeve on top. 69F in the evening, same outfit, maybe too warm. Phoenix sucks in the summer, but it's hard to beat in the winter :**. Also, first commute on my new (to me) Richard Sachs, built up just yesterday. pictures to come.

Mechanova 01-03-12 07:42 PM

I started commuting to work about 2-1/2 years ago - I work for a major automobile manufacturer;) Anyway, I stopped for the winter at Thanksgiving the last two years, but this year I decided to keep going as long as the roads and pathways are clear. Today was the coldest I've ridden in so far. 15F with a 0F windchill. No problem staying pretty warm. I received some LL Bean winter sneakers for Christmas so I put some platform pedals on the bike and my feet were toasty for the first time since the beginning of November. However, my face got pretty numb so I think I'll invest in a balaclava. It warmed up to a balmy 17F with lighter winds for the ride home.

I rode in 100F heat this summer and I am hoping to ride in 0F this winter for my first century!

Medic Zero 01-03-12 07:45 PM

Nice commute today! I'm very pleased to say my girlfriend is joining me some days. When we ride together we climb Capitol Hill via Interlaken Park, which is a nice change of routine for me, and makes for a real pleasant commute with a mile or two of quiet parkland in the middle. It was dark when we left at 0630, but although the road was wet, it wasn't raining at that point and there wasn't any wind. My new brakes (Tektro 720's, largely thanks to posts on Bike Forums) are fantastic, it felt good to be on a steed I could actually stop again!

monsterpile 01-03-12 09:07 PM

I finally got back in the saddle last Friday and today it was noticeably colder on the ride in at about 20 degrees, but not much wind. I was able to wear only one layer of jackets on the way home. It was a much mroe enjoyable ride than last time since I was more familiar with my new route and I adjusted the seat to a better position. Its great to be back out riding again and I need all the exercise I can get with my winter weight gain.

yep202 01-03-12 09:20 PM

Wind advisers for my area. Winds 27 miles.

Cold, and lots of looks from other drivers. Saw a few people out jogging. I stayed at the hotel I work at on Sunday. I like how I have access to many things available to me. Free rooms secure storage, tools, shower, water, coffee, food and even a free gym membership.

John_1961 01-03-12 09:28 PM

First commute for2012 it went very well did 8miles temps this morning 8* and this afternoon we hit the 20* mark I'm going to do it again in the morning AM temps for Southeast Wis 20* should be an AWSOME RIDE :)

scaryseth 01-04-12 12:25 AM

1 Attachment(s)
Ride into work was very nice. Low 40's and no rain. A good share of others on the road this morning as well. Had a nice sun rise as well while crossing the Broadway bridge over the Willamette River, Mt Hood just out of view.
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=232430
Ride home was pretty nice as well. Clear, not too chilly and again no moisture. Got a few extra miles in on the way home.

stockholm 01-04-12 03:42 AM

Extreme winds, raining, and pitch black... No, I haven't used my bike yet in 2012. I'm officially a whimp.

dcb23 01-04-12 06:29 AM

Cold, coldest in a long while in fact: around 17F / -8C. Sock liners + wool + Merril winter mocs = warm feet. I did notice a biting cold where I did not properly pull down the front top of my balaclava where my goggles meet helmet. other than that, cold and quiet.

vtjim 01-04-12 06:46 AM

Not too bad. :p Saw 0F/-18C on the bike computer. Slight tailwind.

This was the Soho's first "cold" ride. I'm only out for about 10 minutes, but nothing unusual happened with the belt or IGH.

Mark Stone 01-04-12 06:57 AM


Originally Posted by vtjim (Post 13674341)
Not too bad. :p Saw 0F/-18C on the bike computer. Slight tailwind.

This was the Soho's first "cold" ride. I'm only out for about 10 minutes, but nothing unusual happened with the belt or IGH.

The Soho is one of the bikes I may upgrade to this summer. I'm leaning towards a cargo machine like the Trek Transport, however I'm interested in hearing your impressions of your Soho - great quality? Worth the investment? How is the belt drive? Etc. C'mon, spill!

Mark Stone 01-04-12 06:58 AM


Originally Posted by stockholm (Post 13674134)
Extreme winds, raining, and pitch black... No, I haven't used my bike yet in 2012. I'm officially a whimp.

Actually, you're unofficially a wimp. It does not become official until you don't ride for a whole 30 days.:lol:

tarwheel 01-04-12 07:08 AM

Coldest commute in a long time with temps in the upper teens. My water bottle was frozen by the halfway point when I stopped to get a drink at a red light. The only thing that red lights are good for are taking a drink, and I couldn't even do that, plus I got very cold waiting for the light to turn green. Fortunately the wind has died down compared to yesterday, when it was blowing 20-30 mph. I battled a headwind all the way home with temperatures in the low 30s and it felt much colder due to the wind. My clothes were completely dry with no sweat at all after my commutes yesterday and today, which is unusual and due to the cold as well as very low humidity.

stockholm 01-04-12 07:32 AM


Originally Posted by tractorlegs (Post 13674368)
Actually, you're unofficially a wimp. It does not become official until you don't ride for a whole 30 days.:lol:

Oh, that's great news, thank you! I thought the "I haven't ridden all year" thing was enough ;)

DogBoy 01-04-12 07:59 AM

Got the impatient driver today, rushing around me to turn right in front of me. I saw it coming and gave a kindly thump on the side of her car and she slammed on her brakes. Probably shouldn't have done it, but after she stopped I kept on going and she looked as white as a ghost. Next time I'll just slow down I think. Temp was just under 20 F, with a light headwind. Should be a nice day!

channeleaton 01-04-12 09:17 AM

This was my first commute of the new year. 40F, no wind, sunny. Beautiful. I'm still figuring out how to dress for different temperatures so I ended up a bit warm towards the end of the ride.

One great thing about my ride today: I beat the bus to campus. I guess the traffic light gods were smiling down upon me this morning.

HardyWeinberg 01-04-12 10:13 AM

50F, dry, pitch black; although I could see the sunrise in the east where there was a gap between the mountains and the cloud ceiling.

truman 01-04-12 10:17 AM

Chilly, rewarded with a beautiful sunrise.

vtjim 01-04-12 11:51 AM


Originally Posted by tractorlegs (Post 13674361)
The Soho is one of the bikes I may upgrade to this summer. I'm leaning towards a cargo machine like the Trek Transport, however I'm interested in hearing your impressions of your Soho - great quality? Worth the investment? How is the belt drive? Etc. C'mon, spill!

I'm a bit of a Fanboy but here I go... Almost 1,300 miles so far. No problems at all. Only thing I've done is replace the front brake pads. The belt drive is awesome. Zero maintenance. No lube. No cleaning. Just ride and enjoy. If the bike gets dirty I hose it off and run a towel over it. The investment is worth it to me just for the low maintenance. To steal Apple Computer's line: "It just works."

Build quality seems fine. Nothing has broken yet. :) I'm not sure how much of a load it can handle. I have a bag with panniers but I don't load it with much more than work clothes or stuff I wear in the morning that I don't need when it warms up in the afternoon. I'm a Clydesdale at around 200 pounds.

It's not an aero-roadbike but it's not a slow cruiser either. It's a nice hybrid. Gearing works fine for modest hill climbs and 30+ MPH sprints. You could put drops on it I think.

genel 01-04-12 12:42 PM

Wimped out yesterday at 10f. Today was a balmy 24. I was a bit overdressed and arrived pretty damp. Nice sunny day and looking forward to 30's later.

Catgrrl70 01-04-12 04:12 PM


Originally Posted by HardyWeinberg (Post 13675060)
50F, dry, pitch black; although I could see the sunrise in the east where there was a gap between the mountains and the cloud ceiling.

I had arrived at work already and was preparing my cup of tea when I saw the sunbreak. It lit up all the downtown buildings to a yellow glow on their east sides. It was quite pretty. Such a nice ride in too. Now it's still dark, pouring and the temperature has gone from 52 at 7:00 am to 50 at 2:15. It's been the types of days I wear a light jacket in and my Shower's Pass on the way home. At least it's 50!


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